Stalk-crop-handling machine.



J. B. scHfiMAN.

STALK GROP HANDLING MACHINE. AMI-10111101; FILED Nov. 8, 1905.

Patented Mar. 21,1911.

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emf/M J. B. SGHUMAN. STALK GBOP HANDLING MACHINE.

APPLIGATION'IILED NOV. 8, 1905. v

Patented 111211121, 1911.

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APPLICATION TILED NOV. 8, 1905. 987,406, v Patented Mar. 21, 1911.

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Patented Mar. 21, 1911.

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JAMES B. SCHUMAN, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO THE SCHUMAN COM-IPANY, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, A GOBPORA'IIQN F MAINE.

STALK-CBOP-I-IANDLING MAGI-IINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, James B. SGI-IUMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stalk-Crop-Handling lfdachines, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to produce a mechanism capable ofreceiving a complete shock of corn or similar crop and subjectingcontinuously successive portions of the shock to means by which the earsof corn or other crop are removed from the stalk and the husks removedtherefrom, and by means of which the stalks and husks shall be suitablyshredded.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

Figure 1 is a plan of an embodiment of my invention; Fig. 2 a section online 2 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 a detail on a larger scale on line 3 3 ofFigs. 1 and 6; Fig. 4: a detail on line 4. 1 of Fig. 6; Fig. 5 an endelevation from the shock-receiving end, one of the lifting shreddersbeing omitted for the sake of clearness; Fig. 6 a plan on an enlargedscale of the feeding mechanism immediately adjacent the snappingrollers; Fig. 7 a section on line 77 of Fig. 2 looking in the directionindicated by the arrows.

In the drawings, 10 indicates a suitable frame at one end of which isarranged a suitable platform 11 for the operators. Immediately forwardof platform 11 is a horizontal rotatable shock-receiving table 12, uponwhich an entire shock may be stood so that the shock may be rotatedabout its vertical axis. Complete shocks of corn may be lifted to thetable and deposited thereon by means of either one of the derricks 13and 13 which are mounted upon vertical axes on the platform 11. Thederricks carry lifting cables 1% 1% respectively by means of which ashock may be lassoed and lifted. The cable 14 passes down through thederrick mast 13 and from thence to a winding drum 15 carried by a shaft16, and

r the cable 1d passes similarly to a winding drum 15 also carried by theshaft 16, each of the drums being sleeved upon the shaft and carryingclutch members 17 and 17 respectively adapted to be engaged by clutchmembers 18 and 18 respectively Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 8, 1905.

Patented Mar. 21, 1911.

Serial No. 286,440.

splined upon the shaft 16, and movable into and out of engagement withtheir cooperating clutch members by means of rockshafts 19 and 19respectively journaled in brackets on the underside of platform 11, saidrock-shafts being connected by means of a rocking lever 20 and footlevers 21 and 21 as clearly shown in Fig. 5. Carried by the rockinglever 20 are a pair of brake members 22 and 22 which are each adapted toengage the flange 23 or 23 respectively carried by the respective masts13 and 13'.

The masts 13 and 13 each carry members 24. and 24 respectively which attheir outer ends are shaped to substantially conform to the curvature ofthe table 12, so that when the derricks are in the position shown in F1, said members 24 and 2 1 will form segmental walls of considerableheight at separated points adjacent the table 12, thus serving, when theshock is large, as a guide to prevent the stalks from slipping from thetable.

The table 12 may be positively rotated if desired without departing frommy invention, but in the present drawings I show means for rotating thetable indirectly by engagement of the shock itself in the fol lowingmanner: Located a short distance in rear of table 12, and preferably toone side of the central line thereof, is a pair of snapping rollerswhich are arranged substantially vertical, and leading to the crotchbetween the snapping rollers is a passageway 31 formed between guides 3232, which guides extend from the edge of the table to the snappingrollers, the passageway 31 of course having a bottom which should bepreferably level with or below the upper surface of the table 12.Arranged along one side of the passageway 31 are spring fingers 33 whichextend forward nearly to the snapping rollers and tend to urge thestalks toward the opposite side of the passageway, in order that theymay be engaged and fed forward by feed chains 34: carried by suitableshafts 35 and 36. Journaled in the main frame closely adjacent the shaft36 and the edge of table 12 is a stud 40 which is attached to the lowerforward corner of a swinging feed frame 11 carrying near its inner end ashaft 42. Shaft 12 carries a gear 13 at its upper end, which gear mesheswith a gear at carried by the shaft 36.

Journaled in the frame 41 are two vertical shafts 45 and 46 which carrya plurality of sprocket wheels over which run feed belts 47 havingportions which project from the otherwise smooth vertical inner face ofthe frame 41 in order to engage the outer layer of stalks of a shockplaced upon table 12. The feed chains 47 are driven by means of a gear48 carried by shaft 45 and mesh with the gear 43. Mounted upon theopposite side of the throat of the passage 31 and closely adjacent thetable 12 is a vertical shaft 50 upon which is journaled the forward endof a driving frame 51, said frame carrying at its outer end a verticalshaft 52. The two shafts 50 and 52 carry suitable sprocket wheels overwhich are arranged belts 53 which carry fingers which project throughthe inner smooth vertical face of the driving frame 51, in order toengage the outer layer of stalks of a shock on table 12. In order thatthe two frames 41 and 51 may swing simultaneously toward the center ofthe table 12 I attach to the lower end of stud 40 a toothed segment 55which meshes with a similar toothed segment 56 which is attached to asleeve 57 surrounding shaft 50 and attached to the lower forward cornerof frame 51. In order that the two frames 41 and 51 may be yieldinglyurged toward the center of the table 12 when a shock is in positionthereon, but may remain in the position shown in Fig. 1, during theplacing of a shock on the table, I attach to the sleeve 57 one end of acoiled spring 58 which surrounds the lower end of shaft 50. The free endof spring 58 is made of considerable length, as clearly shown in Figs. 6and 7, and a cable 59 attached thereto, said cable passing to the rearbeneath the table 12 and being attached to a foot lever 60 arranged atthe rear of platform 11 and provided with a pawl 61 adapted to engage asegment 62, the arrangement being such that the operator may readilyplace the spring 59 under tension, so as to urge the two frames 41 and51 toward each other, or may relieve that tension so that the frameswill stay in any desired position. The shaft 35 is driven by a shaft 65,and the shaft 50 is driven by means of a belt 66 connecting it withshaft 36, the speed of the shaft 50 being somewhat less than the speedof the shaft 42 for a purpose which will appear. Shaft carries gears 67which mesh with gears 68 carried by the husking rollers 69, whichhusking rolls are of any desired form and carried in a frame 70extending downward and rearward beneath the table.12 and discharging toan endless carrier 71 which is adapted to deliver the husked corn fromthe side of the machine.

Mounted to the rear of the snapping rolls is a shredder cylinder 72, theshaft 73 of which is the main drive shaft of the machine, and drivesshaft 65 by means of belt 74. A belt 75 also extends from shaft 65 to ashaft 75 which carries a raddle 76 arranged beneath the shredder drumand the husking rolls. The shaft 16 is driven by means of a belt 77extending from shaft 7 3 to shaft 16, and the snapping rolls are drivenby means of a belt 78 from the shredder cylinder shaft to a shaft 79which is geared to the snapping rolls by gears 80 and 81.

Each of the derricks 13 and 13 is pro vided at its upper end with abracket 90 which is independently swiveled upon the upper end of thederrick mast.

The operation is as follows: The tension on spring 58 is released andthe two frames 41 and 51 swung to the positions shown in Fig. 1.Thereupon one of the derricks 13 or 13 may be swung upon its axis so asto allow the guides 24 or 24 thereof to hang out beyond the platform 11,as shown in Fig. 5, and the lifting cable is attached to a shock,whereupon the operator by stepping upon the proper foot lever 21 or 21will cause the corresponding winding drum 15 or 15 to lift the shock sothat its butt will be above the upper face of table 12, the shock beingsupported in the curved crotch of the guide 24 or 24. The derrick mastmay then be swung around so as to deliver the shock upon the table 12.Thereupon the band of the shock is cut so as to free the stalks, andtension is put upon the spring 58 so that the two frames 41 and 51 willswing toward each other and engage the shock. The various parts are thenput in motion and the two belts 47 and 53 engage the shock by atangential force serving to turn the table slowly in the direction indi-=cated by the arrow in Fig. 1. The belt 47 however, moves much morerapidly than the belt 53 so that the speed of rotation of the shock willbe thatof the speed of the belt 53. while the belt 47 serves to stripoff the outer stalks of the shock and deliver them to the carrier 34,whereupon said carrier drives the stalks to the snapping rollers 30, thestalks remaining upright or substantially so until after they havepassed the snapping rollers, and the ears of corn drop upon an apron 91and slide from thence to the husking rollers. The apron 91 is omittedfrom Fig. 6 for the sake of clearness. The stalks drop from the snappingrollers upon the shredding cylinder and are discharged from thence tothe rear by any suitable mechanism not shown.

By the means described it will be possible to handle a complete shockfrom any suitable shock-handling Wagon and deliver the same bodily tothe present machine where it will be automatically fed to the shreddingmechanism, the two frames 41 and 51 approaching each other as the shockis decreased in size until the last remnant of stalks is delivered tothe snapping rollers.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a stalk crop handling machine, the combination of a rotatableshock-receiving table of such form as to receive a shock of stalks andsupport the same substantially vertically, means for engaging a shockplaced on said table and stripping successive stalks from the outerportion thereof and for delivering said .stalks.

2. In a stalk crop handling machine, the combination of a rotatableshock-receiving table of such form as to receive a shock of stalks andsupport the same substantially vertically, means for engaging a shockplaced on said table and stripping successive stalks from the outerportion thereof, means for delivering said stalks, and a driving meansfor rotating the table.

3. In a stalk crop handling machine, the combination of a rotatableshock-receiving table of such form as to receive a shock of stalks andsupport the same substantially vertically, means for engaging a shockplaced 011 said table and stripping successive stalks from the outerportion thereof, and means for rotating the table.

In a stalk crop handling machine, the combination of a rotatableshock-receiving table of such form as to receive a shock of stalks andsupport the same substantially vertically, guides forming a passagewayleading from the table, a carrier arranged to drive stalks through saidpassageway, a frame arranged to travel over the table, and an endlesscarrier carried by the frame and adapted to engage the outer layer ofstalks of a shock arranged on said table and deliver the same to thepassageway carrier.

5. In a stalk crop handling machine, the combination of a rotatableshock receiving table, guides forming a passageway leading from thetable, a carrier arranged to drive stalks through said passageway, aframe arranged to travel over the table, an endless carrier carried bysaid frame and adapted to engage the outer layer of stalks of a shockarranged on said table and deliver the same to the passageway carrier, asecond frame arranged to travel over the table in opposition to thefirst frame, and an endless driver carried by said frame in position toengage a shock placed on the table and thereby rotate the shock andtable.

6. In a stalk crop handling machine, the combination of a rotatableshock-receiving table, guides forming a passageway leading from thetable, a carrier arranged to drive stalks through said passageway, aframe arranged to travel over the table, an endless carrier carried bysaid frame and adapted to engage the outer layer of stalks of a shockarranged on said table and deliver the same to the passageway carrier, asecond frame arranged to travel over the table in opposition to thefirst frame, an endless driver carried by said frame in position toengage a shock placed on the table and thereby rotate the shock andtable, and means for driving said frames simultaneously toward thecenter of the table.

7. In a stalk crop handling machine, the combination of a rotatableshock receiving table, a pair of frames each pivotally supported at oneend adjacent the table so that their free ends may swing toward eachother toward the center of the table, and stalk engaging means carriedby said frames.

8. In a stalk crop handling machine, the combination of a rotatableshock-receiving table, a pair of frames each pivotally supported at oneend adjacent the table so that their free ends may swing toward eachother toward the center of the table, and an endless stalk engaging beltcarried by each of said frames.

9. In a stalk crop handling machine, the combination of a rotatableshock receiving table, a pair of frames each pivotally supported at oneend adjacent the table so that their free ends may swing toward eachother toward the center of the table, stalk engaging means carried bysaid frames, and means for driving the free ends of said framessimultaneously toward each other.

10. In a stalk crop handling machine, the combination of a rotatableshock-receiving table, a pair of frames each pivotally supported at oneend adjacent the table so that their free ends may swing toward eachother toward the center of the table, an endless stalk engaging beltcarried by each of said frames, and means for driving the free ends ofsaid frames simultaneously toward each other.

11. In a stalk crop handling machine, the combination of a rotatableshock-receiving table, guides forming a passageway leading from thetable, a carrier arranged to drive stalks through said passageway, aframe arranged to travel over the table, an endless carrier carried bysaid frame and adapted to engage the outer layer of stalks of a shockarranged on said table and deliver the same to the passageway carrier, asecond frame arranged to travel over the table in opposition to thefirst frame, an endless driver carried by said frame in position toengage a shock placed on the table and thereby rotate the shock andtable, means for driving said frames simultaneously toward the center ofthe table, and means for yieldingly driving the free ends of said framessimultaneously toward each other.

12. In a stalk crop handling machine, the combination of a rotatableshock-receiving table, a pair of frames each pivotally supported at oneend adjacent the table so that their free ends may swing toward eachother toward the center of the table, stalk engaging means carried bysaid frames, and means for yieldingly driving the free ends of saidframes simultaneously toward each other.

13. In a stalk crop handling machine, the combination of a rotatableshock-receiving table, a pair of frames each pivotally supported at oneend adjacent the table so that their free ends may swing toward eachother toward the center of the table, an endless stalk engaging beltcarried by each of said frames, and means for yieldingly driving thefree ends of said frames simultaneously toward each other.

14. In a stalk crop handling machine, the combination of a rotatableshock-receiving table, guides forming a passageway leading from thetable, a carrier arranged to drive stalks through said passageway, aframe arranged to travel over the table, an endless carrier carried bysaid frame and adapted to engage the outer layer of stalks of a shockarranged on said table and deliver the same to the passageway carrier, asecond frame arranged to travel over the table in opposition to thefirst frame, an endless driver carried by said frame in position toengage a shock placed on the table and thereby rotate the shock andtable, means for driving said frames simultaneously toward the center ofthe table, means for yieldingly driving the free ends of said framessimultaneously toward each other, and means for controlling theapplication of said yieldingly driving means to said frames.

15. In a stalk crop handling machine, the combination of a rotatableshock-receiving table, a pair of frames each pivot-ally supported at oneend adjacent the table so that their free ends may swing toward eachother toward the center of the table, stalk engaging means carried bysaid frames, means for yieldingly driving the free ends of said framessimultaneously toward each other, and means for controlling theapplication of said yieldingly driving means to said frames.

16. In a stalk crop handling machine, the combination of a rotatableshock-receiving table, a pairof frames each pivotally supported atoneend adjacent the table so that their free ends may swing toward eachother toward the center of the table, an endless stalk engaging beltcarried by each of said frames, means for yieldingly driving the freeends of said frames simultaneously toward each other, and means forcontrolling the application of said yieldingly driving means to saidframes.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal at Indianapolis,Indiana, this first day of November, A. D. one thousand nine hundred andfive.

JAMES B. SCHUMAN. [1,. s.] lVitnesses ARTHUR M. H001), JAMES A. l/VALSH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

